Predators and Warriors
by Sporedude135
Summary: Trousk, and ancient war hero, and Vokun, a crystal dragon, team up to prevent the Predators, or the Redredda as they refer to them, from doing their supposed "rite of passage." Unfortunately, they don't know that trying to stop the rite of passage during the most important part leads to a much larger problem of overwhelming, messy, and parasitic proportions. (I suck at summaries)
1. Chapter 1

**Predators and Warriors**

**Chapter 1**

_4478 BC, Zlarca:_

_A small village comes together as night draws near. The people of the village exchange goods with each other before going into a tribal dance, worshiping their goddess, a large, butterfly-like being that brought life to the island. Unaware to them, this night was going to change the history of the island, for better or for worse. _

_From the sky, a bright, white light bursts from the darkness. The people are spooked by the light, edging closer to their houses as the object in control of the lights touches down on the wet soil. A door opens from the back of the object, and out comes three tall beings. They could not tell what these beings looked like because of their odd choice of clothing. Was there some sort of advanced tribe that could build this stuff? They had no idea, and were slightly afraid of the beings._

_As time went on, the villagers slowly got used to them being around, as they often leave without a trace and suddenly reappear after a certain amount of time. In due course, these beings began to teach the whole tribe how to build large structures that the tribe called "Pyidis." As time continued forward, the tribe began to worship the beings, whom they call "the Redredda," as gods, undermining the large beasts that have claimed themselves as their gods before. The two main gods were not happy with this endeavor, and __chased the beings from the island. _

_As the dust settled, a man known only as "The Leader," brought the tribe together, and founded a city known as "Zlarc." As time passed, the city-state would colonize the rest of the island, and rename their nation to "Zlarca." This was the start of a new age, a new beginning, a new chapter in the history of the island._

_The Redredda would come back to the island from time to time. For what? We don't know. All we know is that they kidnap a few Zlarcans and send them to the now abandoned temple built so long ago, where they never return. That changes, real soon._

* * *

_861 BC, village a few miles from Flean, Zlarca:_

As the night envelopes the sky, the village is lit up by a large fire in the center. The people danced around the flame, followed by creatures ranging from the smallest birds to the largest, reptile-like creatures. Sitting atop a wooden, throne-like chair is a man wearing a suit of bone armor, made from a multitude of creatures that inhabit the island. A long, reptilian tail creeps out from behind the man and rests on the arm rest of the seat. His hands were clawed and covered in black to dark grey scales.

"Being the chantbus must be a bit fun, Trousk. At least crack a smile," says a woman, dressed in a traditional tuku dress. The man, Trousk, only scoffed.

"I know that, Tesa. I would love to join the fun, but I'm supposed to be having an important meeting with...you know."

"Yeah, yeah I know. But, while you wait, you could at least join the dance," Tesa told him. Trousk rolled his eyes under his bony helm. The woman pouted a bit before the distinct sound of wing beats entered his eardrums.

"Finally." He stood up and walked away from the plaza, earning a confused look from Tesa. He walks down the path before turning the corner, reaching a large building, which is supposed to be his home. The door was wide open, so he knows they've already entered. Closing the door behind him, he took off his bony helmet, revealing a full bed of black feathers where his head is supposed to be. He looks forward and finds the people he was supposed to talk to.

The first is a tall man with black, charred skin, covered in armor reminiscent of obsidian, and two large, dragon-like wings stick out of his upper back. The other is not as tall as the man, but she makes up for it by iridescent, bug-like eyes, fluffy antennae sticking out of her forehead, a chest covered in thick fluff, a long, flowing skirt, and two large butterfly wings sticking out of her back in the same area as the man's wings.

Trousk knelled down in front of them, paying them respect as he knows they are very important to him and his people. He stands up as the man approaches him.

"Salwa, Trousk."

"Salwa to you as well, Obsidorah," Trousk replied, nodding his head in the process. He then looks over the woman. "Wasn't expecting you to be here Ubtia, however."

"Sorry, got mixed up with the problem as well," Ubtia responded, putting a hand behind her head. Trousk smiled a bit before looking back at Obsidorah. He can tell that it was about to get serious from the air around him getting to heatwave levels of warm.

"What is it that you needed to discuss?" Trousk asked. Obsidorah scoffed as he crossed his arms. He spat out a bit of an orange liquid that Trousk knew was magma.

"Do you remember the tale of the Redredda?" He was surprised. That old myth? What does that have to do with the meeting?

"I...yeah. I do. But what does this have to deal with me?" he questioned him.

"The Redredda are supposed to return soon. Ubtia has looked forward into the future, using Vokun as extra help, and they calculated that we have a week left until they arrive on the island," Obsidorah told him.

"What are they going to do? The myth never specified what they did when they got here besides them kidnapping a few people."

"We don't know either, Trousk. But I have a theory. They use those humans as sacrifices to some sort of god that they have," Ubtia told him. Trousk closed his eyes and put his finger against his temple. A sigh of frustration escaped his nostrils as he began to think about what was going to happen.

"It will take time, I assure you, my good subject. For now, wait and continue your business. Me and Ubtia will go back to Mount Toba to continue discussing our strategy for dealing with them this time. We will return soon," Obsidorah said. Trousk blinked in frustration as the two human-animal hybrids walk out the door. He looks out and find that they have vanished. He rubs his eyes a bit before closing the door. Putting his back against it, he slides to the floor, unsure of what to do. He hasn't been like this since...well, he won't mention it. It's still a hot topic, despite being many years ago.

"Dareilud."

* * *

_Six days later:_

The evening sun looked beautiful from this distance. Trousk was almost to his village, riding his trusty tokuem, Onau. He drank the last of the juice in his canteen before putting it back on his belt. He blinked a bit before a strong pain flowed through his left eye. He touched his eyepatch, since that eye was pierced and destroyed during a bygone war. It only ever flared up when something bad happened. But then he realized. Today was possibly the day the Redredda would come back.

"Onau, move faster," he roared. It moved as fast as its large, elephant-like legs could go. Twenty-minutes later, Onau came to a complete stop. Trousk slid off of him and rushed into the village. People were gathering around the square, silent and ever still. Trousk pushed through it and ended up at the fire-pit, where, shockingly, Tesa's parents stood, crying as they held her wounded brother in his arms. He was patched up, but was in really rough shape.

"Trousk, you're back!" Tesa's mother exclaimed.

"I know that. What in the gods name happened here," Trousk questioned her.

"Something big came last night. They looked human, but we couldn't tell for sure from all the clothing and that freaky mask it wore. They kidnapped Tesa and a few others in the village and severely wounded Meibe," her husband explained. Trousk eyes widened in horror. They were correct. The Redredda have arrived. A loud roar shook him to his senses, as a reru landed, the earth cracking beneath it. The people stood back in shock, but Trousk approached it as a soft growl escaped its jaws.

"Salwa, Vokun. What an unexpected surprise," Trousk said, bowing to the reru.

"Enough of the formal greetings, human. Things are getting set into motion. We have to hurry," Vokun growled, flapping his wings a bit.

"Where are we going?"

"To Pyidis Mountain, that's what," the reru grumbled. Trousk tried getting atop of Onau, but Vokun stopped him. "It would take too long on that thing. Its easier if I fly us both there."

"You never let anyone ride you. What makes you think you'll let me-" suddenly, Vokun bit onto Trousk's clothes and hoisted him onto his back.

"Just shut up and hold on. Obsidorah requests it." Vokun took off, the wind of of his wing flaps flowing through the entire village.

* * *

_One hour later:_

The two looked down to see the structure they were looking for. It was certainly old, especially since an actual mountain has started to cover it. However, the front of it and some of its top, which revealed an entrance, wasn't covered by dirt and rock just yet.

"Alright. The myth is definitely real," Trousk joked. "Take us down."

"Don't order me around, human. I don't take orders from you," Vokun growled. They descended quickly. After the reru landed, Trousk slid off.

"You really have bumpy armor, Vokun. You gotta smooth out the edges," he said, rubbing his tail.

"Whatever. Lets get this over with." The two walked up the steps, passing by imagery of strange humanoids and even stranger creatures with elongated heads and raptor-like body plans. Trousk's left eye felt sore again.

"This isn't going to end well, I can assure you," he told the reru beside him.

"Let me tell you this, human. We are only going to capture the Redredda. We want to know why they coming back after repeated attempts by me and the gods to drive them away. Its freaking them out, and I want to stop this from happening again," Vokun explained. Trousk glared at him.

"No way. Those things captured my people, and I want to see them dead in their tracks," he angrily told him. Vokun grumbled.

"I don't have time for this. Are you going to help or do I have to freeze you again like after the Second Greek-Zlarcan War!?" he roared. Trousk looked away, a scoff escaping his mouth.

"Fine. But don't make me regret it." The two finally made it to the top layer of the pyramid. An entrance was before them, but before Trousk could step forward, Vokun lowered his wing to stop him. "What's going on now!?"

"I don't think we're alone, human," he grumbled. The wind blew as the two fell into an eerie silence. Suddenly, a light flew by Trousk's eyes, implanting itself into a rock. He turned towards it to see an arrow, which was lit with fire.

"What in the gods name...I thought this place was abandoned," Trousk said, pulling out his sword and putting on his bone helmet. Vokun growled, barring his teeth as multiple people wearing hoods stepped out from the shadows. One of them seemed to be more important than the others, and was the first to speak.

"You are trespassing upon the sacred pyidis our people constructed before time began. Our gods are coming for their rite of passage, and we don't want any outsiders menacing the ritual!"

Vokun and Trousk looked at each other before staring at the man. "W...what ritual?"

"Our gods demand a sacrifice every one hundred years. They come to our land to conduct a "hunt" of the most worthy of prey, the Enpehes!" the leader shouted, holding his arms up into the sky.

"So...they're hunting snakes?" Trousk asked, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"NO! Well...oh yeah, I forgot this is the Zlarcan language were talking about," the man mumbled. "Enough! These creatures can only be brought to life via a sacrifice. Our gods will hunt them so that they will be given the mark in Pasu!"

"Alright...but I got to say this. You are in MY country! I am the one to protect its people. I don't know what in the gods names you are trying to do, but you are endangering the lives of thousands! Step aside and stop your acts or else me and this reru will do it ourselves," Trousk demanded. The man was appalled that he was trying to interfere in the ritual. If they were to succeed, their gods would be furious!

"I can't allow you to do that. Leave, or else we will add you to the ones sacrificed," he threatened. Trousk and Vokun stood their ground.

"Try me. I will turn you all into jewelry and present them as a trophy to my king," Vokun growled.

"Ah, I see you like collecting trophies as well. You and our gods are similar, it seems," the man interjected. Vokun roared, jumping upwards and sending his jaws down upon the man. He rolled away before he could do so, and the reru ended up getting a mouth full of rock. He spat it out at one of the other people defending the pyidis, sending them flying towards the wall and splatting their torso. Vokun roared again as an arrow of flame ricocheted off his crystal armor. He peered towards the person, and watched as Trousk slashed his arm off with his sword and throwing him towards the wall.

"I don't care about your mumbo-jumbo, human. My king has sent me to stop your gods from ever returning. And I intend to do so, as that is his WILL!" Vokun roared. A torrent of blue flames escaped his maw, heading towards the man. Everything it touched was covered in the same crystal as the reru's armor. The man rolled out of the way, pulling out a sword of his own. He rushed towards Vokun, who flapped his wings to blow him away. Using his sword to steady himself, he rushed at him again, but was thrown back when a body of his fellow brethren was thrown at him. Trousk clambered to the top with ease, wiping some blood from his mouth.

"I expected this to be a lot harder, I guess my eye was wrong this time," he joked. Vokun huffed as he slowly approached the man, who pushed the body off of him and stood up.

"You two won't be allowed into Pasu. The gods are angered with your decision," he said, panting as he charged again. Vokun huffed a bit of blue flame, which hit the man's feet and froze him in his place. He struggled to get out of the crystal holdings as the reru continued his approach. The man swung his sword, hitting Vokun's chest. It did nothing to him. Vokun rolled his eyes as looked at the man, dead in the eyes, his reptilian ones sharpening in anger.

"I don't need to. I work for my king, and he is a god himself." With that, he chomped down on the man, ripping his body from his legs and devouring him whole. Trousk looked away in disgust.

"I had no idea you could eat us."

"I only do it to those that really bother me. They don't exactly taste good in my opinion," Vokun growled, spitting some blood on the ground. "Lets get this over with. I think there are more inside."

"Oh boy, here we go again," Trousk joked, cleaning the blood off his sword. They jumped down and looked back towards the entrance. Trousk noticed that it was too small for Vokun's massive body, which was comparable to Onau. Vokun noticed this as well.

"Don't worry. I got this." With that, a beam of light exited his eyes, smashing into the entrance with enough force to shatter it. It was now big enough for him to go through.

"Way to make an entrance, I guess," Trousk said, shrugging as he readied his sword. The two stepped into the pyidis, ready for a fight.

* * *

The explosion at the top of the pyidis rocked everything else inside. Everyone felt the blast. Rocks and dust fell from the ceiling, only stopping after the quake ended. Most of the people left to find out what was going on, while the more important people stayed to continue the ritual. It must be done. The gods need their quarry if they are going to bless them yet again.

Tesa looked in all directions, horrified as to what happened, so as all the other captives. Something was going on. Was it help? Were they being saved? If so, then by who?

Everyone watched as the entrances, and, to them, the exits, were blocked off by stone pillars, preventing their escape. She banged her fists against the wall, begging for the ones outside to let her and the others out.

She stopped when the circular cuts at the ends of the stone slabs open, lifting up strange, fleshy eggs, the likes of which they have never seen before. The tops of them split open as something in the egg begins to move frantically. She slides down the pillar as the creature revealed itself.

"Where are you, my beloved gods?"

* * *

Trousk bites down onto one of the extremists neck, ripping off a chunk before smacking him into a wall. He spits out the meat chunk before wiping his lips of blood. Vokun soon joined him, his crystal armor coated in blood. The reru's eyes focus on what looked to be an entrance.

"Over here." The two approached the stone pillar, the same, strange hieroglyphs that's present throughout the temple inscribed on it. Vokun smelt the ground, picking up familiar and unfamiliar scents. "There are definitely people in there."

"Get us in there then!" Trousk roared.

"DON'T RUSH ME, HUMAN!" Vokun snarled before letting out a beam of energy from his eyes. It destroyed the pillar, sending debris flying at them. They were unfazed for the most part, and, as the dust settled, Trousk rushed in to find that everyone had freaky, spider-like creatures on their faces. He noticed one of the victims, and realized that he was too late.

"TESA!" He rushed over to her almost lifeless body, using his claw to slice the creature on her face clean in half. He roared in pain as he held his finger up to see that his claw has melted off. "What in the world?"

"We don't have time to waste, human. Obsidorah said to rescue any kidnapped people, so start grabbing," Vokun roared, picking two of the people up with his teeth after chopping the weird creatures off their faces. His claw didn't melt, which intrigued Trousk. He isn't worried about his own claw, he knows it will grow back eventually.

After Vokun got rid of all the strange creatures, he and Trousk loaded them onto his back. The two rushed outside of the pyidis after Vokun blew another hole in the side of it. Trousk hopped onto Vokun and the two flew into the night sky. Trousk hoped they could heal them. Their pulses weren't showing, and he was worried that something happened.

But one thing plagued his mind. What were those...Isce, as he calls them, and what are the Redredda really here for? What do they even look like? He knows that he will have to wait. He pushes those thoughts out of his mind as Vokun continues to race to the village, unaware that something inside Tesa was stirring.

* * *

**Ah, finally. Got the first chapter out of the way. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm very sorry if it doesn't match up to your standards.**

**Lets translate all the unknown words used in this chapter! All words used here are Zlarcan, a fictional language spoken by Trousk and the rest of Zlarca.**

**Pyidis: Pyramid.**

**Redredda: *static***

**Chantbus: A mayor-like title given to those who watch over a town or city**

**Tuku: A traditional dress worn by women. It can be made of any material, but is mostly made of leaf fibers, scales, or fur**

**Salwa: A greeting**

**Dareilud: Zlarca's only known curse word. It usually takes the place of a word similar to the f or b words. Is often mispelled as "dareliud," or even just "darelud."**

**Tokuem: The traditional name given to the North American creature known as the "Triceratops."**

**Reru: The traditional name given to the "mythical" creature known as the "Elemental Dragon."**

**Enpehes: The traditional name given to all snakes or serpent-like beasts. Also refers to a group of creatures known as the *static***

**Pasu: Paradise**

**Isce: Currently a made up word by Trousk. Translated, it means "Facelatcher."**

**Now that's out of the way, this is Sporedude135, signing off...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Predators and Warriors**

**Chapter 2**

_Back at the village:_

Trousk stood there, arms crossed and his back against the wall. His tail swung about and his face shows his worry. Ubtia returned, and decided to check up on all the people kidnapped, including Tesa. Speaking of her, she was lying on a bed, haven't moved an inch since her rescue. Ubtia had her hands on the woman's forehead, checking everything about her, as she did with everyone else. A slight growl escaped from Trousk's mouth.

"How's she doing?" he asked. Ubtia sighed before looking up towards him.

"She's alive, but she's unconscious." Trousk sighed in relief. At least his friend's alright.

"How about the others?" he added. Ubtia could only nod. Looks like they weren't harmed. Vokun soon approached, licking his teeth after having eaten some fish from the nearby lake. He looked different. He wasn't covered in his crystal armor, though he did have some crystal parts covering his head, his chest, and the fronts of his legs. He could see that Vokun was green and red on the inside of that thick armor and covered in healed scars, which was a strange combination of colors to Trousk.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here, goddess," he muttered. He snorted before sitting on his hind-legs, similar in style to a dog. Ubtia couldn't help but smile.

"I heard what happened and arrived as soon as I could," she told him. Vokun rolled his eyes before looking over at Trousk.

"Seems we got there before the whole problem really began," the reru told the human.

"Yeah, yeah. Good thing we did it quick," Trousk said. He looked back towards Ubtia, who kept checking on Tesa. He looked back to see that Vokun was in some sort of meditative state. He normally only does this when he's getting a message. He finally snapped out of it and glared at Trousk.

"My king has given us the next phase of the plan."

"Wait, there was more to this? Why didn't he tell us earlier?" Trousk asked, a look of suspicion in his face.

"He likes to take his time. He is the king of the gods here, you know." Ubtia chuckled a bit.

"Oh Obsidorah. I've known him for over 500,000 years, and he has never changed," she said with a smile. Vokun grunted before continuing.

"He has said to go back to the pyidis tomorrow. The Redredda will be arriving then, and we need to be ready so we can bring them in so we can question them. Do I make myself clear, human?" Trousk yawned, stretching his clawed arms in exhaustion.

"Yeah...yeah I heard," he said. Vokun snorted before giving a goodbye, taking off into the night sky. They watched his figure disappear into the darkness. Ubtia looked at Trousk, who was fixing the feathers atop his head.

"I'll keep an eye on them. You head on to bed so you can rest for the big day tomorrow," she told him. Trousk stared into her unmoving, butterfly-like eyes before nodding, a frown adorned on his face. He heads back to his adobe. After shutting the door, his left eye suddenly began having cramps. This could be about tomorrow, so he shrugged it off and went to bed.

* * *

_The next morning:_

Trousk wiped the sweat off his forehead as he finished putting all of his supplies onto Onau. He hooked up a rope that he used to lead the large beast around and managed get him to follow. He entered the square as everyone went on their daily routines. Trousk couldn't help but smile at the people he has protected for many years. He would've went to checked on Tesa, but the sound of wing-beats stopped him in his tracks. Vokun has soon arrived.

"Salwa, my good friend," he said, jabbing his elbow at the reru in a joking manner.

"Don't call me friend. Were war partners, and that's it," Vokun growled. Trousk looked at him weirdly before he straightened his throat.

"Anything else that Obsidorah forgot to add?" he asked.

"No. He simply repeated what he said last night," Vokun replied. "Now lets go. We don't have time to waste."

"Your rather annoyed this morning, what happened?" Trousk said. Vokun snorted before taking off. The general couldn't help but laugh as he mounted Onau. "Onward, my good friend."

The tokuem let out a roar before he began the long trek to Pyidis Mountain.

* * *

_Two hours later: _

Onau and Trousk break through the forest and finally arrive at the pyidis. Vokun was already there. He was hanging out at the top of the mountain before he noticed the two and flew down. After landing, an annoyed glare formed on the reru's face.

"Took you long enough, human," he growled.

"Hey! Onau likes to take his time, ain't that right bud?" he said, earning a bellow from the tokuem. Vokun rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Find that creature of yours a hiding spot and lets get settled in."

"Alright, alright, don't be too fussy on me now," Trousk joked again, grabbing onto Onau's lead and pulling him to the side of the temple. After Trousk unloaded his camping stuff off of him, he and Vokun walked up the steps of the pyidis. They hid in a spot shrouded in shadows by the overhanging mountain.

Trousk laid his back against a large boulder that has come to rest by his side and pulled out a few berries from his bag. Vokun laid down, keeping his eyes peeled for any incoming...well, he doesn't know. He has never seen a Redredda before, and he's been around the world. His claws tapped against the stone with impatience. He certainly want to figure it out soon, or else his king wouldn't allow him home.

As night passes, nothing of importance happened. Trousk had fallen asleep at this point, and Vokun was still waiting...and waiting...and waiti-

"BY OBSIDORAH'S NAME WHEN ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE!?" the reru suddenly roared, waking up Trousk.

"Quiet! I was trying to sleep," the general yelled, holding his left eye in pain as it suddenly started aching again.

"Why in the world were you asleep!? We were supposed to be waiting for them!" Vokun roared at him.

"Well I'm sorry that we "mortals" and rerus have DIFFERENT SLEEPING PATTERNS," Trousk yelled back.

"WHATEVER! Just try to stay awake this time," he growled. Trousk sighed and laid his back against the boulder again. He suddenly got an idea.

"Can't you look forward in time?"

"Uh...yeah, I can do that. Why do you ask?" Vokun replied.

"If you helped Ubtia figure out when they were gonna come, then why don't you do it again and figure out exactly when they get here!" Trousk explained.

"I'm not. It wastes too much energy simply looking a few hours ahead," Vokun told him, scratching his neck with his leg. Trousk looked at him in confusion.

"Figured Obsidorah's "strongest creation" would have a better hold on that power, but oh well," Trousk joked, shrugging as he put a rag over his head in preparation to sleep again. Suddenly, Vokun sent his tail down, whacking Trousk on the stomach and forcefully sending all his air out. He gasped in shock as he rolled over, trying to fix his senses.

"Dareilud! What was that for!?" Trousk demanded.

"First off, shut up. Just because I have a large assortment of powers doesn't mean I use them often. And secondly...well I think they're here," Vokun said. Trousk shook his head before noticing the clouds separate. What looks to be a "flying ship" as they call it came down, settling into the forest. The two watched, their keen eyes able to see in the dark. From the bushes and ferns came three humanoids, dressed in armor they had never seen before. It looked...foreign. Was it Greek? Egyptian? They couldn't tell. They also stood really tall, at least eight feet, which Trousk thought wasn't possible.

"What's next. We fount our targets."

"Go through the entrance, quickly. I have a plan," Vokun whispered. Trousk nodded, and entered the large hole that Vokun made.

* * *

_Later, unknown room:_

"Stop. This place will work," Vokun growled. The two stopped. It was a large room for sure, and they could tell that it was covered in hieroglyphs. Vokun eyed every corner of the room, and closed his eyes as he thought of a plan. Trousk...well he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing at that moment. He kicked a rock away as Vokun finally stopped.

"Well?" he had to ask.

"I have a feeling this room is important. That wall over there looks split through the middle, as if its supposed to open like a door. This might be where these Redredda come in through," Vokun explained. Trousk raised an eyebrow under his bone armor.

"Was...was that it? Or am I missing something?" Suddenly, Vokun grabbed him with his jaws and flew to the ceiling. He suddenly turned upright and upside down, sticking his feet against it. Instead of sliding off, he stayed put! Trousk was surprised, but soon fount himself falling after Vokun tried to put him on the roof as well.

"Oh, that's right. Humans don't have feet like mine," Vokun joked. He quickly flew down and grabbed Trousk before he could hit the floor and flew back up. He stuck the general to the ceiling with his crystal breath, embedding him in a sheet of his crystals, preventing him from falling. But it sure didn't feel comfortable.

"Is this part of your master plan?" he asked, annoyed that he couldn't move. Vokun growled slightly.

"Quiet. Wait for them to come in, and then we strike," he told him. Trousk huffed as Vokun got himself situated, planting his feet against the ceiling and staying put once more. The reru closed his eyes, knowing it won't be long for them to come in. Trousk looked at him. He was a very confusing creature, he will give Vokun that, but he knew he had a reason.

Vokun's eyes suddenly shot open as the pyidis began to shake. Trousk looked around, seeing dust and a few, small pieces of the ceiling fall to the floor.

"What's going on!?" he asked.

"You'll see." They looked towards the split wall and noticed it was splitting, revealing the outside world. Trousk, wide-eyed, nodded in understanding. From the new entrance came the three humanoids. Vokun was preparing to launch down to attack when a red light suddenly appeared. It was as if light was emanating from one of the humanoid's arms. The three looked, showing familiar shapes. Vokun realized that they were apparently looking through the pyidis. They stopped, only to look up at their position.

"...uh oh."

"Looks like our cover was blown!" Vokun roared. The crystals that held Trousk to the ceiling flowed like water towards Vokun, who's armor slowly formed over his body like water turning to ice. Seeing nothing was holding him up anymore, he fell as the reru took off, heading towards the floor. Trousk got himself into a flying squirrel pose before a membrane covered in feathers opened up behind his arms, reaching all the way down to his hips. It helped him glide to the ground, letting him land softly, though he stumbled a bit.

Vokun growled, a warning sign to the humanoids. "The gods had demanded that you false gods stop, but you did not listen. They are fed up now. Come with us peacefully, and I will not have to knock you down a peg myself."

They did not respond, possibly not knowing the language of the reru. Instead, metal blades shot out of their arms from some sort of contraption. Vokun and Trousk saw nothing like it. In response, Trousk unsheathed his sword and readied his shield, prepping for the ensuing battle.

"Stay sharp. They have been coming here for hundreds of years, so they must have really good fighting skills," Vokun growled, his claws tapping against the floor.

"Yeah?" He scratched his back with his sword before pulling back into a fighting stance. "Same as I."

The air became tense, and almost all sounds vanished for the moment. Vokun and Trousk's night-vision eyes met their masks with glowing eyes. Before they knew it, the battle would soon commence. The humanoids were the ones to attack first. They unhinged some sort of metal disc with six metal claws and flung them at the two. Trousk, knowing all too well what this entailed, held his shield close. The one sent towards him slashed into his shield. It protected him, but it soon broke in half.

"What in the world!?" The disc suddenly flew back to the humanoids. Seeing he will have to go down the offensive route, he rushed towards one of the humanoids, who was doing the same.

Vokun stood there, the strange discs impacting his armor. They only gave it a scratch. The reru popped his neck and charged, jumping so he can bring his claws down on the two he was going to fight. They dodge rolled out of the way before his feet contacted the floor, which cracked from the force. One of the humanoids rushed him and used its "wristblades" on Vokun's legs. Like the discs, it only scratched his crystal armor. That one humanoid felt the full force of his tail, sending it towards the wall with enough force to get a few cracks going.

Surprisingly, it was still going. It stood right back up after shaking its head. Vokun raised an eyebrow before facing his body towards it. He let out a plume of blue fire hurdling straight towards it, but it dodged out of the way. The fire connected with the floor, turning into the same crystal Vokun uses as armor.

"Impressive, I must say," he growled, whacking the other humanoid he was fighting away. "They definitely fit the mark of expert hunter I heard so much about."

"Hey! Need a little help here!" he heard Trousk yell. He turned to see one of the humanoids and him fighting. He noticed he lost his shield, its remains lying on the floor. The two fought mercilessly. Trousk expertly dodged the humanoid's blades while the humanoid did the same. One dodge, however, left the humanoid wide open for an attack. He swung his arm, trying to claw its face off with his, well, claws. But it only scratched the surface of the mask, not even leaving a mark but letting sparks fly. He gasped in shock, leaving him open for the humanoid to swiftly bring his blades up and slice Trousk's arm clean off.

The general screeched in pain as blood poured from his chopped arm. He stumbled backwards, falling onto his side as he held his wound, trying to keep the blood in. Vokun saw this and sighed in annoyance.

"Humans...so fragile and easy to smash." He flew towards the humanoid, and smacked him towards a wall with his foot with enough force to knock it out. He shook his head as he looked down at the bloodied and maimed general. "Should of brought better armor. Just using bones of giant creatures won't cut it."

"Help me will you! I'm gonna bleed out here!" Trousk yelled, gritting his sharp teeth. Vokun rolled his eyes before unleashing a torrent of blue flames upon him, encasing him in a crystal box. Letting a snarl escape his jaws, he smashed his foot onto another humanoid, knocking it out in the process.

"Last one," he grumbled, turning to face the last humanoid. The two were about to fight once more, but a lone roar echoed from deep inside the pyidis. The humanoid turned towards the source. Vokun could tell something was off, but shrugged it off and lunged forward, slamming into the humanoid before he could focus back on him. He dragged the humanoid across the floor and slammed him against the wall. Using his foot to hold it there, he finally used his head, slamming into the humanoid's face with enough force to break whatever light was in its helmet.

He let the humanoid drop to the floor. It was unconscious, finally. His armor slowly compacted itself into a large gem on his chest as he blew a few flames onto the knocked out humanoids, reshaping the crystals that formed from it into what is essentially chains.

"We have lots to talk about, my good friend." Grabbing the humanoids and hoisting the crystal box Trousk was stuck in onto his back and blew a hole in the wall, escaping into the night sky.

* * *

***here comes the probable hateful comments***

**Anyways, here's chapter two. I hope you enjoyed and I'm sorry if I disappointed you all. **

**This is Sporedude135, signing off...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Predators and Warriors**

**Chapter 3**

Morning arose over the village. Despite the new day arriving, its was silent, all except for the wind that howled through the village. The people were keeping to themselves, all in a state of worry.. They were all worried for Trousk. Despite completing his mission, he was wounded severely, his arm chopped clean off by the things he was sent to capture. They didn't want him to die, not now. He has served Zlarca for many years, and they don't want him to give up just yet.

Trousk's house was just as quiet as the village outside. Speaking of the general, he was inside his room, lying still on his bed. His arm has been patched up with silk, given to him by Ubtia, who stayed up all night trying to keep his wound from bleeding anymore. The bed was covered in blood, same with his body. His eyepatch was removed, revealing his scar and his missing eye.

As the sun's rays entered his room, Trousk began to stir. His good eye slowly opened. His mind was racing all through the night. Was he dead? He had no idea. He sat up, gasping in pain as he reached over to his arm, only to find it missing.

"Oh...right." His mind had gone blank after Vokun had apparently froze him in his crystals. He didn't lose his memories, mind you, but he can't remember anything past the battle. After a few, pained pushes, he managed to drag himself to his feet. He stumbled down the stairs, almost falling down them but managing to keep his balance until the last step, when he tripped and face-planted onto the tiled floor.

His sudden collapse alerted someone in the room.

"Trousk!" He looked up to see Ubtia, who knelled down to help sit him up. "What are you doing!? You were supposed to stay in bed!"

"You never told me anything," Trousk told her.

"Oh yeah...you were knocked out when you got here, silly me," she said, blushing in embarrassment. "But still, you should really be in bed."

"Why? Didn't we win?" Trousk questioned her, raising an eyebrow.

"Erm...yeah. Well, Vokun did the best. He managed to knock them all out," Ubtia told him. She picked him up with relative ease and began carrying him up the stairs. She laid him down on his bed, getting an annoyed look from Trousk.

"You didn't have to do that. I could've easily clambered up the stairs myself," he told her.

"I'm sure you could've but I'm not taking any chances." Trousk grumbled a bit before realizing something.

"Where is Vokun? Where are the Redredda that he apparently beat?"

"He took them back to the Dragon Kingdom, for whatever reason. I was going to head there myself, but decided to stay behind and help get you cleaned up and stuff," she explained.

"...uh. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll do it myself," Trousk responded.

"Didn't I just tell you that I wasn't taking any chances with you getting yourself in more pain than you already are?" she told him.

"You did." He looked down at his missing arm and back at the goddess that stood beside him. "But I believe I can take care of myself for a while. Go ahead and leave for the Dragon Kingdom."

Ubtia responded with a sigh before a ball of light formed in her hands and shot towards his face, knocking him out.

* * *

Trousk's eyes shot open as he fell to the floor. He quickly stood, finding that Ubtia was gone.

"What the..." he looked down to see that he was cleaned, and a fresh ityt was strapped around his waist. His eyepatch was also cleaned and was over his missing eyes, and his silk bandages were replaced. Trousk pondered for a moment. "What did Ubtia do to me while I was under!?"

Shaking the thought out of his head, he headed downstairs, ready to continue his day.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the Dragon Kingdom:_

The three Redredda were hanging by crystal chains, seemingly unconsscious. We can't tell because they still possess their mask. They suddenly jolted awake after a loud roar echoed through the dungeon. Vokun and Obsidorah walked into the room, a mean look in their eyes. Vokun's armor was still present on his body, the scratches caused by the humanoids' weapons slightly visible.

"Finally, after all these years, we can finally figure out their motive!" Obsidorah growled. Vokun snorted before he waved his foot, causing the chains hooks to slide quickly to the floor. The three humanoids fell, landing on the crystal floor with a thud. Obsidorah's glare only sharpened as he approached the one in the middle. "Speak, or I will melt your bones into broth to which I will gladly drink."

"That's...an interesting threat...I like it," Vokun joked, his neck on the floor as he was tired. Obsidorah rolled his dragon-like eyes before his claws began to glow red with heat. He grabbed the one in the middle by the neck, his whole hand beginning to glow. However, nothing escaped its mouth. Obsidorah growled in annoyance before he prepared to melt the humanoid's neck clean off. Just then, footsteps and panting could be heard outside the room. Barging in was Ubtia. She put her hands on her knees, out of breath.

"You're late," Obsidorah told her, dropping the humanoid and cooling his hand off.

"Sorry...had to...take care of Trousk a bit," she responded, putting a hand close to her chest. Vokun grunted a bit before deactivating his armor to get at a scratch that has been bugging him.

"I see. Vokun did tell me that his arm was cut off by these things," Obsidorah said, glaring down at the three humanoids. Ubtia was soon by his side. She crouched down to the same level the humanoids were on.

"You didn't take off their armor yet, maybe that's why they can't talk to you," she told him.

"Well lets take it off then!" Obsidorah growled.

"Relax, Obsidorah. You get heated over the most minuscule of things," she said. Vokun looked up as Ubtia slowly moved her hands towards middle humanoid's mask. It shook a bit, startling her, but she quickly calmed herself and grasped the mask. Steam shot out of the mask as she slowly lifted it off of the humanoid's head. Her eyes now meet the humanoid's reptilian face, mandibles sticking out from the mouth. Her eyes widened. She has never seen something like this before.

"Oh...that is...not what I expected," Obsidorah spoke after a long bout of silence. He approached the humanoid once again, crossing his arms as his glare returned. "Now, what on Earth are you?"

"Ell-osde' pauk!" Obsidorah and Ubtia looked at the humanoid, flabbergasted at the way he spoke. It certainly didn't speak any human language that the two spoke.

"...what did it say?" Obsidorah asked Ubtia.

"I...I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know!? You can translate practically any noise and make sense of it!" he roared.

"I know I can! I have to be ready first, you know!?" Ubtia responded. Obsidorah growled in annoyance as Vokun came up to them.

"Never heard THAT language. Seems foreign," he said.

"Kinda obvious, general," Obsidorah chimed. Vokun snorted as Ubtia soon got to work. She placed her hand on the humanoid's cheek, a dim light flowing between them before she pulled away. Vokun and Obsidorah looked at each other as Ubtia cleared her throat.

"Gkaun-yte." The three humanoids all looked at her with what the three thought was confusion.

"Was that...its name or something?" Vokun asked.

"No, that's their version of "hello,"" Ubita quickly responded.

"Oh." Vokun sat down on his hind legs as she asked it who the humanoid was and its name. To Obsidorah and Vokun, the language these humanoids spoke as complete gibberish. But if Ubtia can understand them, then they are sure to get some answers.

"This one is named "Bhon'dchaadh," and he-"

"That name is too hard to pronounce my guy. He is to be named Sivad from now on," Obsidorah interjected. Ubtia looked disappointed that he wasn't taking this as seriously as he hoped. She turned back towards "Sivad" and continued talking with him, trying to extract as much information as she could.

Apparently, they aren't Redredda. In fact, they aren't even from around here or the Great Sea that surrounds the island. They come from...a whole other place outside of the range they could figure out. They were not gods, but a group of beings that exist in many worlds, and on each one, they are known as "Yautja." An interesting name, for sure. The reason they come here is to complete a "rite-of-passage," which intrigued Vokun. Young Bloods, as their rank is called, come to this island to complete their ultimate hunt, the killing of serpents, as they called them.

"So...I guess those crazy people me and the general met at Mount Pyidis weren't as crazy as I thought," Vokun contemplated. Ubtia looked like she was about to vomit after Sivad told her about how their "worshippers" summoned the serpents. Obsidorah was impressed. That was really hardcore for a species to be born. But what interested him the most was the blood of the serpents. They were yellow and acidic, able to melt through rock with ease.

But something was off. Vokun, as he overheard Ubtia explain the process, remembered that the first stage in their life cycle occurred already, and had already latched onto people, including whoever Trousk's friend was.

"...how long does it usually take for these bursters to emerge?" Ubtia asked Sivad, and after a brief discussion, she turns back to Vokun.

"At least a day," she tells him. That was the nail in the coffin. Trousk's thoughts of "it was going to be a bad time" was true.

"I got to go, now." He rushes towards the door, but was stopped by Obsidorah's booming voice.

"Where are you going!?" he asked.

"Stopping the death of the island, that's what," Vokun said, leaving the room. Realizing what Vokun was talking about, Ubtia rushed out the door as well. Sighing in annoyance, he looks over at the three humanoids with disgust.

"If you know so much about these things, go with them. You all may prove useful." With that, a portal opened below the three, sending them towards the reru and goddess as they made their way out of the crystal cavern.

* * *

_Evening, Trousk's Village:_

The village was not used to seeing Trousk without his arm. Even one-armed, Trousk tried to make the most of it. After getting Onau back from Mount Pyidis, he figured it would be a good time to visit Tesa. He hasn't seen her since they saved her from the ritual, and he wanted to make sure that she was alright. He approached her home and knocked on her door. After knocking, he suddenly had a pain in his eye. Shrugging it off since the bad days were over, he waited until Tesa opened the door. Her eyes widened to see him.

"Trousk!?"

"Salwa, my dear friend," he said, putting his hand behind his head. Her eyes gravitated towards his missing arm. He noticed this, and told her, "best fight I ever had that did not involve my family, that is for sure."

"But...how are you still walking!? I figured you'd lose a lot of blood from that," she yelled, putting a hand over her mouth when realizing that people could overhear her.

"I thought that as well, but I guess Vokun and Ubtia helped me a bit," he told her with a smirk. She smiled before letting him inside. He rubbed his head a bit before sitting down in a chair. "How about you? That's what I've been worrying about."

"I've been better, but I have this weird feeling in my chest. I don't know what it is, but it feels like its...moving," she told him. He raised an eyebrow at that. A feeling that can move from place to place? He thought that was just a myth. His fingers twitched a bit as she sat down on the other side of the table.

"I see...well, its good that you aren't...you know," he told her.

"I know. I'm thankful my prayers were answered before that happened," she responded. She put her hand on her chest, a slightly pained expression forming on her face. Trousk grew concerned, and got up from his chair and moved to her side. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"That definitely doesn't look like an okay face," he told her. The pain suddenly got worse, and she leaned back in her chair and screamed in pain. Trousk's eyes widened in fear as he tried to figure out where the pain was coming from. He reached down and lightly touched her chest, only to feel something...**hard. **

"What the-" In just a few, short bursts, blood and what seemed to be pieces of heart splattered all over the table and on Trousk's face. He yelped in surprise as the head of a snake-like creature peered out from her chest. His widened, fearful eyes soon turned into enraged ones as he went to grab the snake-thing. However, the creature was fast, slithering out of her chest cavity and onto the floor before he could grab it. "**GET BACK HERE YOU INSOLENT INSECT!**"

He chased the creature all about the house, leaving a trail of blood with every step of his clawed feet and the creature's bloodied body. He jumped for it, his claws ready to slice the thing to pieces, but it escaped through a small hole in the wall. He looked out the window to see it escape into the nearby forest, causing a flock of birds to fly away. He quickly turned towards Tesa and rushed to her lifeless body. He picked her up and rushed out of the house, mindful not to trip.

As he did so, he heard screams all across town, followed by the shriek of a similar volume to the creature that burst from Tesa's chest.

"Oh gods...what is happening!?" A loud roar, definitely from a reru and not from those creatures, echoed from above. Vokun and Ubtia landed, carrying those humanoids Trousk had to fight earlier. Ubtia's eyes widened when she saw Tesa's condition. She rushed to him and checked for a pulse. She slowly shook her head, causing Trousk's heart to shatter. "No...not again..."

"Dareilud. The serpents have already began their take-over," Vokun growled. Trousk glared at the reru.

"What happened!?"

"That...is why were here." Trousk got on his knees and let Tesa's body slide to the ground.

"Why...why did this happen? What were those things," he demanded an answer, his hand shaking from rage. Vokun's snorted, a visible puff of air escaping from his nostrils. He looked down at Ubtia, who was shaking in fear. He has never seen her this scared. He has faced someone that could've destroyed the island when he wanted, but she was afraid of these? He was very confused. He turned back towards Trousk, an annoyed look on his face.

"Come with me. I will tell you everything."

* * *

**Uh oh...UH OH...**

**Well...don't know how well this chapter will do, but its done. I hope you enjoyed.**

**This is Sporedude135, signing off...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Predators and Warriors**

**Chapter 4**

A soft, cool breeze swept across the hill as a storm approached. The grass, the leaves, and the occasional dust bunny flowed with the wind. But it was eerily silent at the top. There stood Trousk, the feathers on his tail, arm, and head gracefully swaying in the breeze. His one eye stared at a multitude of graves that the village had put atop the hill and filled up for generations. One grave that has his attention is his friend, Tesa's, grave. Her death was sudden, swift, and brutal, and he knew whatever that thing was that came out of her was still out there.

"If only I had gotten there earlier, she would still be alive," Trousk whispered to himself. He closed his eye and let out a pained sigh. His hand curled into a fist as he turned around and made his way down the hill. The first drops of rain fell on his silky, black feathers as he made his way into town. The town was still in mourning of the deaths of the seven people that suffered the same fate as Tesa, and it was prevalent in their faces. From there he saw Vokun and Ubtia, waiting patiently by the side of the fountain. He figured they were wanting to see him, so he cleared his throat and approached. "Salwa."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Vokun mumbled. Trousk chuckled at his ally in war as Ubtia was fumbling around in a bag made of white silk...which confused him greatly.

"Where did you get that?" he asked as she pulled something out of the bag.

"Get what? This?" she questioned back, holding up a crystal arm.

"No, that bag." Ubtia's face turned red as she tried to think of a response. Trousk and Vokun looked at each other, only shrugging at her behavior.

"Lets not talk about that, please," she told them. As she dropped the bag on the ground, their focus landed on the arm she was carrying.

"May I ask where you got that?" Trousk questioned her.

"If what the Redredda has told us about the thing that killed Tesa, its that they can spread like wildfire. I think we may of screwed up by waiting this long...what has it been, a week?" Vokun began.

"I'm not going to get over how there is life on other worlds. I thought ours was the only one, for sure," Trousk said. Ubtia nodded her head in agreement. She, as well, was surprised that life wasn't just prominent on this realm. Vokun grunted to get their attention again.

"Anyways, me and Ubtia figured it would be wise to get you back into fighting shape, since you saved your nation from two invasions of equal magnitude before. So, over the course of this week, I had been working on a new arm for you. Say its a gift for your help against Hahvulon," Vokun continued.

"But how exactly are you going to put that new arm on me? I don't know any possible met-"

"Done." Trousk looked down to see the crystal arm now slowly attaching itself where his old arm was. It gave off a weird feeling as it connected, but it did so with no ill effect. He lifted his new arm up and moved his fingers. They worked like a charm.

"Well...alright then," Trousk joked. Ubtia smiled as Trousk wielded his sword in his new right arm. "Just like good old times."

"I have also outfitted that new arm with powers and weapons for you to use based off of my own capabilities, though they are weaker," Vokun growled.

"Thank you, reru. Now I can bring this chaos to an end," the general said with excitement and confidence.

"Its good to have you back on the team, that's for sure," Ubtia told him.

"But I have to ask. What are we going to do with the Redredda?" Trousk asked. Vokun grumbled before pointing towards another section of the plaza with his tail. There stood the Redredda, but with another crystal reru.

"We have important business, me and you. If we are going to win against these serpents, then we need an army. We are heading to Flean to ask the Kinex for assistance," Vokun finally replied.

"Why can't we use your armada? Wouldn't we be able to kick them back to wherever they came from with ease?"

"Obsidorah wouldn't allow it. He created me to protect the world from the devil dragons, not from things like this. Now get on. We must go now," Vokun ordered, lowering his wings. Trousk rolled his eyes at the reru before clambering onto his back. Vokun and the other crystal reru, which the Redredda were riding on, took off, flying westward towards the mountains.

An hour into the ride, they had gotten pretty comfortable. Trousk was lying on his back, watching the flying animals the island had to offer go by. The Redredda did not move a muscle. To Trousk, they seemed relaxed, so he took that as a sign. You may think he should have a grudge against them for cutting off his arm during their fight, but you'd be wrong. Fighting is a heavy part of Zlarca's culture, and losing an arm like, while humiliating towards the one who lost it, gives those who committed to the chopping a high deal of respect. He couldn't be mad at them. He has been around for over a thousand years now, and seeing an ancient general such as himself lose to a newcomer is something he should admire in the Redredda.

The ride there was silent, but Trousk had this feeling like they were being watched. The Redredda seemed to have the same feeling. The crystal rerus, however, did not realize what was going to happen next. From the depths of the forest bursts upwards, slamming itself into Vokun and sending the reru and the general plummeting towards the ground. Vokun crashed, face first, into the dirt, but was only shaken up from the fall, while Trousk landed like a bird, using the feathery flaps under his arms to glide downwards safely. After spitting a mouthful of soil from his jaws, Vokun realized what had caught them. As the other crystal reru, with the Redredda, land, the impostor shows its face.

It was...a dragon!? But at the same time, it didn't look like a normal one. It's mouth opened as it let out a loud, menacing roar, revealing a second mouth that was inside the normal one. Trousk and Vokun looked on in disgust.

"Okay...definitely not what I expected from these serpents."

"If what those Redredda said is true, we got to stop this thing NOW before it can spread its plague across the island," Vokun told him.

"...wait, you didn't tell me how I can use this arm-"

"Find that out yourself!" Vokun roared, charging the beast. He slammed his head against the creature before biting down on his prey. It roared in pain and slammed its large foot into him, sending him through a couple of trees. The Redredda and the extra reru were soon to fight. The three beings threw their star-shaped weapons at the creature, getting some good gashes on its side, but not good enough to make it bleed. It charged at the three, with the reru intervening and slamming its foot on the creature's neck. It only pissed it off even more as it bit down on the reru and flung it at the Redredda, sending them flying while Vokun came back, his mouth flaming with blue fire.

A torrent of blue fire streamed from his mouth at the creature, but it was smart enough to get out of the way. Vokun mentally cursed himself as a pile of crystals formed where the fire hit, and he chased after the Serpent as it took off into the air. Trousk growled in annoyance as he tried to get the arm to do something to no avail. He became enraged, and slammed his fist into the arm, causing a bolt of energy to streak down to its hand and collect into some sort of ball. Trousk was surprised by this, but knew he couldn't revel on this power for long. As the reru came to its senses, Trousk jumped on its back, followed by the Redredda, and they took off after Vokun and the Serpent.

Vokun and the creature had been sparing in the air for a few minutes now, each one not being able to damage to each other, which annoyed the reru commander too much for him to bear. He then saw the other reru with Trousk on its back. The ball of energy in his hand was a sign he was beginning to understand how his new arm worked.

"Perfect." Without warning, the Serpent unleashed a volley of acid balls. One hit him in the face, sending him spiraling towards the ground below...again. After letting out a loud roar, it began to flee, feeling as if its energy is starting to run low. Trousk could not let it get away. He ordered the reru to go faster, and it did so. As they passed over clouds, the two "dragons" finally flew parallel to each other. With his target now in striking distance, he aimed his arm at the beast's head. Before he could take the shot, the beast slammed itself into the reru, throwing him and the Redredda off balance and straight off the reru's back.

He tried to unfold his feathery flaps that were under his arms, but only one came up, as the other one didn't have the feathers necessary to glide. Knowing that he is falling for real this time, he decided to take this opportunity. He positioned himself, facing upwards as the reru and Vokun, who had recently came back, was fighting with the Serpent. The ball of energy in his hand grew larger as he took aim, trying to get the perfect shot. However, the two rerus sort of ruin his chance since they were getting in the way constantly. He growled in annoyance before he decided to take his chance.

He let the energy go, releasing a beam of light towards the three. Said three stopped for a moment until they noticed a red glow from under them. Knowing what they meant, Vokun and his lackey fled the scene. It hit the Serpent straight on, slicing through it like butter on a hot day. An explosion soon followed, releasing a torrent of body parts and acid all over the place. He held his arm up to block the acid, which suddenly caused a shield made of Vokun's crystal to form in front of him. The acid fell on it, but did nothing, unlike last time when it melted his claw.

"Well...that was interesting," he said to himself. He then rolled over, trying his best to slow down his fall as best as he could. However, he knew that he couldn't slow himself down in time. Before he passed the bottom cloud level, Vokun sped through, grabbing him by the length of his tail and throwing him on his back. Trousk didn't even give a reaction at how quick that was.

"About time," Vokun roared. "Though, I don't know why I didn't do that myself..."

"Maybe you wanted me to kill it instead?" Trousk joked as the other reru flew up beside them, carrying the Redredda.

"No, not really. Whatever, we still have a mission to do, do we not?" Vokun growled.

"I know. We lost precious time because of that attack. Lets get going!" Trousk ordered.

"Don't tell me what to do human!" Vokun roared before flying off at incredible speed.

However, down below, unknown to them, the plague has already begun.

* * *

**Hah! 2 chapters in one night! What about it!? **

**I hope you enjoyed it. if you didn't, that's okay as well ;)**

**This is Sporedude135, signing off...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Predators and Warriors**

**Chapter 5**

_Flean, Zlarca:_

"So...explain to me why you need an army? We are not at war, you here general?" the voice was none other than the Kinex of Zlarca, Stosuru. The council is eyeing the general suspiciously. What is this man planning? "And may I add, what happened to your arm?"

"The arm I will explain later. But, you have to believe me on this, okay? Do you remember the legend of the Redredda, and how they were responsible for the creation of our very kingdom?" Trousk began.

"I have. It's a very common story. Children are often read it as a bedtime story. But how does it relate to the topic at hand?"

"Yes, yes, it is very connected. For you see, the Redredda are as real as the events that transpired over a thousand years ago! They even got my arm!" Trousk told them, pointing to his new crystal arm. The council gasped in awe, but the Kinex wasn't impressed.

"Something must've gone wrong with you over these past years if you are to believe in that myth. It's a fictional story meant to teach kids a lesson, and fiction is not real life. The only time it WILL be is if you provide us proof!" he told the general. A sigh of disappointment escaped Trousk's mouth as he motioned towards a window. Peeking in from the outside was Vokun, who was making sure that he was doing his job. He nodded at the general before wrapping his tail around the three Redredda. He bursts into the council room, scaring all except the Kinex. The reru roared as he placed the Redredda down in front of the Kinex.

"This should be proof enough, human," Vokun growled. Stosuru looked down on the three. He gave them a pitied look.

"These are the Redredda? They look nothing more like people in costume!" he shouted. The council whispered among themselves, wondering whether it was true or not. Stosuru stepped down from his throne to get a better look at them.

"I must assure you, Kinex. These are very real. You should be convinced when I remove their mask!" Trousk told him. He walked over to the middle one, Sivad, and managed to take off his mask, revealing his mandible-ridden face for the whole room to see. The council gasped in shock, but it still did not impress Stosuru. He went back to his throne and sat down.

"You had Ubtia create them. Only she knows how to make a human-like creature. You are insane to believe that these things are the legendary Redredda!" he told them. He looked around the room to see it has gone silent. Trousk was flabbergasted that Stosuru, even with the Redredda right in front of him, refused to believe that he, the general, was right.

"Oh boy," Trousk could hear Vokun mutter under his breath. Stosuru grabbed his staff and firmly planted it in front of him.

"And, because I do NOT like delusional people running the military, I hereby revoke your status as a general." The entire room was shocked by the conclusion. Trousk, however, couldn't help but feel defeated. Vokun was surprised that it came to this. He would've threatened the kinex to keep Trousk in charge, but he figured it wasn't worth the trouble of almost getting the dragons and humans at war. "You are to retire to your village at once! You may have been the hero of the past, but these hundreds of years of your life have caused you great harm. I am sorry, but you are dismissed."

With no other things to talk about, Vokun grabbed the Redredda and he and Trousk left.

* * *

After a few hours, Trousk was dropped off by Vokun, who left for the dragon kingdom once more. He went to his house and went inside. As he sat down, all he could think about was the kinex.

"Why..." his hand curled into a fist. "Why NOW am I being stripped of my titles!?"

He yelled with such ferocity that it caused the room to shake. Rage built up inside him as he slammed his fist into a wall, causing it to crack. He had never experienced this amount of anger since...the demon king. He decided to rest it off. It may help him cope with the loss, but considering his sleep habits, it may not be as much as he hoped.

As he laid down in his bed, he suddenly heard someone knocking on his door. He huffed in annoyance as he walked downstairs and went to check on who it was. As he opened the door, he was surprised to find a Greek friend of his standing at his door. The man was shocked by his appearance.

"Dareilud! What happened to your arm!?" he yelled out.

"It's a long story, Idaeus. Come in," he told him. Idaeus walked inside and shut the door, and was surprised to see all the cracks and blood that covered his house.

"By the gods, this place is a mess," he said, picking up a bloody cloth.

"Like I said, long story. You...want me to tell you about it or do you want to keep it to myself?" Trousk asked him.

"...yeah. I haven't seen you in months! You got to tell me everything my friend," Idaeus said, shaking his fists in anticipation. Without hesitation, Trousk went on about the Redredda, Vokun, the gods, and the apparent Serpents that he was trying to convince the kinex about. Idaeus frowned when the ex-general told him about him losing his position in the military.

"That sucks. But you gotta admit, Stosuru is a stubborn creature, for sure," the Greek told him. Trousk sighed as he put his tail in his lap.

"He isn't the worst leader, per se, but he isn't the best," he admitted. Idaeus eyed the room once more before getting in close to Trousk.

"Listen, I know its a rumor, but I heard that Stosuru despises people with magora," he told the ex-general.

"Oh really?"

"Like I said, its only a rumor. As well, I also heard that he plans on exterminating them somehow, and he kinda already started since he kicked out that batch of council members because they had magora and he didn't. Maybe you were just part of his plan?" Trousk put a finger to his chin as he began to take what Idaeus said to heart. It did sound plausible. He could feel the tension rise whenever he and the kinex were next to each other, so it could be possible that he hates magora users such as himself.

But their conversation had to wait, as Trousk picked up the sounds of wing beats with his sensitive ears. His crystal arm shot out its light sword once more as he approached the window.

"WAIT, YOUR ARM CAN DO THA-"

"Shush!" Trousk ordered him. He went quiet as he slowly pushed the wooden piece that blocked his window. It was Ubtia, with the Redredda no less. "What is she doing now?"

"Who's doing what now?" Idaeus said. Before Ubtia could knock on his door, Trousk opened it, almost ripping the door off. Ubtia drew her arm back in shock as he smirked a bit.

"Salwa, my goddess." Ubtia blushed as he stepped aside to let her and the Redredda inside. She noticed Idaeus sitting in a chair, who was ogling at her physique.

"Greetings...er...who are you?"

"Names Idaeus, what's a fine lady doing in these here parts," he said while shaking her hand.

"I'm here to discuss some matters with Trousk. Please leave," she told him. Idaeus frowned a bit as he went for the door.

"He's a friend of mine. I kinda told him everything," Trousk told her. She was about to criticize him but decided that he had enough banter for today. She looked back Idaeus as he grabbed the doorknob.

"Alright, you can stay. Just don't get involved, alright?" she told him. He nodded as he went back to his seat. Trousk shrugged at his friend as he waited for the Redredda to come inside.

"So...Ubtia...I didn't get what I was looking for...because the kinex kinda-"

"Revoked your general status?"

"Yeah that-WAIT WHAT!?" Trousk yelped, slipping onto the floor. "How did you know that already!?"

"I have eyes everywhere. Also, I can look at you through portals, I guess," she told him with a smile. Trousk got back up and rubbed his forehead.

"Alright, alright, whatever. So what was it that you wanted to discuss?" he asked her. She scratched her head, not knowing how to explain it to him. She decided to just tell him straight.

"We're going back to the pyidis."

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder when we get to kill those beasts again," Trousk told her, cracking his knuckles. She was surprised, for she did not expect Trousk to be so open to the idea.

"But you don't have your army-"

"I may not have an army, but, with the both of us, those Redredda, and Vokun working together...yeah, I can see us doing swell," Trousk interjected.

"...yeah." She cleared her throat as she laid a somewhat crumpled map of what seems to be the pyidis on the table. "Speaking of, Vokun figured that the best way to stop this infestation is to kill the queen. These serpents act like bees, working and being birthed from a single, large queen. The Redredda told me that they are located in a special room deep inside the pyidis. We got to get something powerful in there, possibly something that can destroy the entire building," Ubtia explained.

"Seems so. I'm in. When do we get started?" Trousk asked, a menacing smirk growing on his face.

"Tomorrow. You had to deal with a lot of stuff today. You must be tired," she told him. He shrugged as he sat down in a chair.

"Alright, alright. Wait, you are coming with us, right?" He asked another question.

"Sadly, I cannot, for me and Obsidorah are having a meeting with the Greek gods tomorrow. It is up to you and Vokun...along with our new arrivals...to deal with it. I trust that you have mastered your new arm?"

"I still got to work out a few kinks, but, overall, I think I have the hang of it. All I know is a blast of light and a sword made of said light, but, from what Vokun could do, I have a feeling that there is more to this arm that meets the eye," he told her, flexing his fingers. Ubtia nodded as he picked up the map.

"Alright, I shall take my leave. Trousk...please take care," she told him. He waved her off and she exited the door, taking off into the still night.

It was then that Trousk and Idaeus finally looked at each other.

"So...what do I do?" The Greek man asked, raising a brow.

"She didn't say anything about you. If what you say is true, that you are a descendant of an old Greek friend of mine back in the 1600's BC, show me something." Trousk approached him, aiming his hand at Idaeus. A light began to shine in his palm. "Do something about this!"

"Ω για σκατά!" He closed his eyes, aiming his hand at Trousk. A light appeared on his chest without his knowledge, and, with the flick of his wrist, Trousk's crystal arm was sent straight into the wall. Idaeus opened his eyes, seeing the "ex-general" remove his arm from the wall.

"You're him all right. You're part of the team now," Trous told him. Idaeus, through his hyperventilation, gave a weak thumbs up before passing out.

"It's almost like old times...back when...**HE** was the villain."

* * *

**Finally...it is done...now I don't have to deal with this chapter anymore. I hope you enjoyed. if you didn't, that's okay. I didn't like it either :(**

**This is Sporedude135, signing off...**


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